Kyra Holmgren, left, and Annabell Dankert are the senior and junior division winners, respectively, in this year’s Dandelion Cottage Award competition. The contest is held by the U.P. Publishers & Authors Association. (Photo courtesy of the UPPAA)

MARQUETTE — The Upper Peninsula Publishers & Authors Association has announced the winners of the 4th annual Dandelion Cottage Award, which recognizes U.P. student short story writers of excellence in grades 5 to 12.

In the senior division for grades 9 to 12, first place was awarded to Kyra Holmgren of Negaunee High School for her story “The Treasured Flower.” The award includes a medallion, the winner’s name on a traveling school trophy and a $250 cash prize.

Second place was awarded to Nicholas Painter of Whitefish Township Community Schools for his story “The Imposter Among Us,” accompanied by a medallion and a $100 prize.

A medallion and $50 will go to third-place winner Walter Dennis of Lake Linden-Hubbell High School for his story “Ash.”

In the junior division, for writers in grades 5 to 8, Annabell Dankert of Rudyard Elementary School won for her story “The Dagger of the Eagle’s Eye,” which carries a $150 prize.

The Dandelion Cottage Award is funded entirely by charitable donations and no fees have ever been charged to entrants or winners. Students submit stories in consultation with their teachers.

This year’s contest was made even more competitive, the UPPAA said, thanks to a free student writing workshop run prior to the contest by author and educator Deborah K. Frontiera of Calumet.

The contest is chaired by Larry Buege of Marquette, a UPPAA Board member and author of the popular Chogan series.

This year’s participants came from 13 different schools from Chippewa County to Houghton County. Some schools submitted up to four entries from their students.

The judges thanked every student who submitted their work.

Each of the honored stories will appear in the 5th volume of the U.P. Reader, UPPAA’s annual literary anthology featuring short stories, poetry and essays by its members.

This publication spreads the word about the organization, raises money for educational programming and encourages U.P. residents and beyond to read U.P. writers.

Complimentary copies of the U.P. Reader are available to all U.P. educators and media for the asking. The on-sale date is scheduled for April 15. Consult your local bookseller for availability or purchase at Amazon. For more information, visit www.UPReader.org.

The Dandelion Cottage Awards were scheduled to be distributed at the 23rd Annual UPPAA Conference in June, but due to COVID-19 considerations, the awards, including cash prizes, medallions and complimentary copies of U.P. Reader, will be distributed through private meetings throughout the U.P.

For more information about the annual Dandelion Cottage short story contest, visit www.DandelionCottage.org.

The UPPAA was founded in 1998 as a nonprofit 501(c)3 corporation with the goal of educating and empowering authors of the U.P.

Among its outreach programs are the U.P. Notable Books List, the Dandelion Cottage Award and a yearly anthology The U.P. Reader.